Read It: Bran Mak Morn, The Last King

Title page with illustration by Gary Gianni.

Cover of 2005 edition
by Gary Gianni.

If you are unfamiliar with Bran Mak Morn, you are not alone.

While I have had the beautifully illustrated, by Gary Gianni, Del Rey edition of  Robert E. Howard's Bran Mak Morn: The Last King in my possession for a number of months, it wasn't until a six hour stop by the hospital waiting room yesterday that I let it take hold of me. It has been something of a circuitous journey to embracing this collection, but the wait was worth it.

Despite having previously read a number of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian stories, my only prior encounters with the Pict warrior was in a short comic book adaptation that appeared in issue #5 of the Dark Horse anthology Robert E. Howard's Savage Sword and as a topic of conversation in some deeper reading around the appearance of Cthulhu-elements in writers other than the H.P. Lovecraft.

Considerably less well-known than Conan the Barbarian, or even Solomon Kane, Bran Mak Morn is an especially unique Howard creation that came along late in his career as the culmination of a life-long love affair by the author with Pict history and culture. It is also in his Bran Mak Morn stories that Howard's friendship with horror icon, and contemporary, Lovecraft bleeds into his writing. A number of the stories that appear in the anthology  Bran Mak Morn: The Last King are also widely accepted as part of Lovecraft's larger Cthulhu mythos. In addition to the wonderful Gianni illustrations, this particular edition also features a fairly extensive Miscellnea complete with poetry and a draft version of arguably the most well-known Morn story, "Worms of the Earth."

Page 179.

Each story and poem presents an aspect of the titled character from a slightly different perspective, never offering a complete sense of the man in any single story. I am no expert (though after reading the informative intro by Rusty Burke, I wish I was) my guess would be that layered characterization was not one of Howard's primary goals. Each selection tells about Bran Mak Morn from the perspective of someone clearly other than Morn. For example, in "The Dark Man," Morn appears not as the Last King, but as a commemorative black stone statue imbued with the qualities of the man. The statue assists another combatant, Turlogh Dubh, by acting as a conduit to the Picts he, when alive, ruled. Perceived by the inanimate, and mystically charged, Bran-statue to be a "friend" of the Picts, Turlough is aided by the diminutive warriors in achieving his bloody goal.

"And now Bran was aware of movement in the gloom. The darkness was filled with stealthy noises not like those made by any human foot. Abruptly sparks began to flash and float in the blackness like flickering fireflies."  ("Worms of the Earth," page 113)

Two of the centerpieces of the collection, the aforementioned "Worms" and "Kings of the Night" deal with Bran's need to seek assistance in battling against his adversaries from the perspective of an omniscient third person narrator. Neither story, however, delivers characterization beyond the established mythic nature of the hero. The fact that our "hero" here seeks support in besting the antagonists is somewhat unusual though.

"I am John O'Donnel and I was Aryara, who dreamed dreams of war-glory and hunt-glory and feast-glory and who died on a red heap of his victims in some lost age." ("The Children of the Night," page 228.)

"The Children of the Night" alludes to Howard's  affection for Lovecraft's mythology, as well as his own scholarly interest in anthropology and mysticism. As seen in the quote above, the story is told from the first person perspective of a modern character, John O'Donnel. The protagonist, whose experiences travelling back in time, are intended to put the reader into the head-space of one who may have encountered the Picts personally. The twist at the end, thereby transforming him from protagonist to future antagonist, also suggests something ugly in our genetically based behavior.

In "The Dark Man," page 157.

I often tell my students that even when I read for pleasure, as is the case with this collection, it is difficult to turn-off my teacher-brain and consider how it might go over as a class read. Taken as a whole, Bran Mak Morn: The Last King reflects much of Howard's fascination with the power of one's genetic history, or race, a subtext which in modern times is rightly controversial. Without even considering the sword and sorcery violence inherent in most of the stories, this factor also makes the potential for its use in a high school literature class problematic without appropriate historical context. Within stories such as "The Children of the Night," first published in 1931, one character's appearance is described as clearly Asian, a look to which is ascribed terrible qualities (despite the narrator's repeated assertions that his appearance is a genetic anomaly.

I quite enjoyed the mix of short story and poetry, warts and all, as an introduction to this unique warrior archetype. A written by Howard this collection represents an intriguing mix of both horror and sword and sorcery tropes in a manner that is descriptive and, ultimately, extremely engaging.

Horror Comics Cavalcade: Marvel Chillers (1975)

Two panels from page 30 of  Marvel Chillers #2 (1975)
words by Bill Mantlo and art by Sonny Trinidad.

Most horror comic books can fit into one of three categories: those titled using traditional horror keywords such as "ghost," or "haunted," those based on traditional literary characters that inspire dread (whether true to the literary source material or not) such as Frankenstein and Dracula, while still others feature protagonists that utilize supernatural power sources such as magic. Today's Horror Comic Cavalcade selection actually fits into all three, though one requires a literary background to make the round peg fit into the square hole.

Issue #2 of Marvel Chillers (1975) is both the second, and final, appearance of one-time newbie Marvel Comics magic-based anti-hero Mordred the Mystic. Despite two issues ably scripted by industry stalwart Bill Mantlo, Mordred the Mystic's comic book career as a lead character lasted only two issues.

Mordred's origin is a simple one: he is found sleeping(!) on a throne beneath an ancient cairn on the Isle of Wight by two explorers. Through a series of events, Modred is awakened from his lengthy slumber and after mistaking one of the explorers for his long lost "milady," he (with the explorers as escort and potential romantic interest) set off to explore the modern world. As so often happens, an evil referred to only as "The Unknown" awakens at the same time intent on destroying him. Utilizing a supernatural energy source called "the darkhold," our mystical hero battles to both clear the cobwebs from his memory and end the threat of the Unknown. So much of this issue is presented as it relates to Modred's origin, it makes one wonder what issue #1 was about.

Modred certainly has
a way with words!

Due to very familiar similarities with other more popular characters, most notably Thor and Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Strange, Morded's quest ends abruptly at the the issue's conclusion. Though he does not speak thusly in more frequent iterations, in the past, Marvel's Thor has also spoken in a pseudo Medieval/Norse tongue. Mordred's dialogue is phrased in a very similar manner, and  lines such as "Is not the powers of the darkhold mine own?" and "Aye, milady, tis God's truth thou dost speak!" cannot be easy to write without inducing a smile. Also like the comic-book Thor (very different from the cinematic character), Mordred is found in a subterranean cavern much in the same way that the transmogrified Mjolnir was--an event that would lead to Dr. Donald Blake becoming the God of Thunder.

Now about that round peg: most readers are likely very familiar with King Arthur and the Knights of the Round-table, but lesser fans may not fully appreciate the connection between those stories and this "hero." In Arthurian legend, Modred is the illegitimate son of Arthur conceived as a result of his relations with his half-sister, Morgan le Fay. Not necessarily the stuff of popular film adaptations (which may be why the character hasn't be seen from much since), this Modred the Mystic's connection to Camelot is only hinted at. The British setting, medieval attire and references to a past golden age strongly infer a connection between Mordred and Arthurian legend, a relationship that might have been explored had the character's run lasted.

Both issue #2 of Marvel Chillers, as well as its immediate predecessor, were both written by Bill Mantlo, art by Sonny Trinidad. Rich Buckler cover pencils.The copy of Marvel Chillers #2 in my possession was just one of a pile of yellowed comic books a friend from work gave me. They had been sitting in a shopping bag in his garage for many years, though I suspect a copy can be had for only a few pennies online or even in a very deep back issue bin at your local comic shop.

Doll Collector: Eowyn with Sword Slashing Action

Finding an action figure worthy of a spot on my desk is often a matter of six degrees of separation. Take "Eowyn with Sword Slashing Action" from the LotR: The Two Towers (2002), produced by Marvel-Toy Biz, for example.

Like many fans of quality television, I was looking very forward to the start of the third season of Vikings on the History Channel when it premiered recently. Beyond the superb cinematography and detailed costumes, it is the characterization of the main players that continues to draw me to the show. One of the show's primary protagonists is Lagertha, played spectacularly by Katheryn Winnick. The character, in addition to eventually reaching the unusual status of jarl (for a woman of the time), is also a well-respected shield maiden. "Shield-maiden" is apparently code for bad-a** female who can maim and lead as well as (or better) than the men with whom she fights.

Though the key action scene against the
Witch-King comes in the third movie, I wish
 the packaging for this figure from the
second had alluded more explicitly to
Eowyn's status as "The Shield-Maiden of
Rohan".

Which circuitously brings me to Eowin from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Just as Lagertha provides a decidedly deadly feminine touch to the Nordic proceedings on the History Channel's Vikings, Eowyn, played by Miranda Otto, has one of the best "kills" in the entire film trilogy. Described throughout as "The Shield Maiden of Rohan," as part of the Lord of the Rings franchise, there are a few collectible action figure versions of Eowyn available, some more reasonably priced than others.

Just as when I bought the "Balrog Battle Gandalf" a few months ago, my purchase of "Eowyn with Sword Slashing Action" was something of an impulse purchase. Though this may be heresy to hardcore Middle Earth fans, while a fan of both Tolkien's books, and Peter Jackson's films, (for different reasons), it was the presence of the Eowyn shield-maiden figure in light of my appreciation of Lagertha of Vikings that prompted my purchase. In many ways, the purchase of Eowyn, a personal favorite of the film trilogy--the second two movies in which she appears, anyway--is a surrogate figure for the Laegertha figure that may never get made (or become available for the very reasonable price of ten bones.)

As both characters are emblematic of highly desirable character traits for both men and women, for now, the single "Eowyn with Sword Slashing Action" figure can stand guard of my desk in the symbolic spirit of both strong-willed and deadly characters. And so the quest for the "Eowyn in Armor" figure from 2003's Return of the King (as seen in that key-kill clip from the third film) collection begins...

Comic Bookshelf: Royal Blood (2014)

Knights of Christendom making a Prince & the Pauper style switch (page 10).

The sword-and-sorcery fantasy comic book is far from dead. In fact, it has seen something of a revival thanks to the re-emergence of old stars Conan and Red Sonja in series from Dark Horse Comics, combined with newer independent titles such Image Comics' Rat Queens and Helheim from Oni Press, not too forget an ongoing adaptation of George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones from Dynamite Publishing.

While not the first graphic novel I've read by ionic Chilean-French filmmaker, and frequent dabbler in the sequential art medium, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Royal Blood is the first that was purchased and consumed immediately following it's American release. Very different in tone from my previous Jodorowsky reading experience, the neo-western Bouncer: Cain's Eye (reviewed here), Royal Blood also offers a decidedly different visual take, thanks primarily to the artwork from Chinese artist Dongzi Liu.

The "eccentric" storytelling most film fans are familiar with from the avant-garde Jodorowsky remains. Having seen his "acid Western" El Topo (1970), I knew to expect a level of philosophical and sexual subtext and Royal Blood delivers though with some inconsistency. No taboo is safe. As rendered by Lui's fantastic artwork and editorial choices as to what to depict visually, and that which is better left off-panel, the gritty tale of royal betrayal, amnesia, and incest is as elegantly portrayed as could be expected given the content. There was quite a bit to take in visually, due to Liu's beautifully rendered panels, but as a narrative, I had difficulty finding a character with which to empathize for more than 3-4 pages at a time.

In Joffrey-esque fashion young Prince Rador is revealed to be knd of a jerk (page 27).

In a story that is not nearly as taboo as it might have seemed prior to the mainstream success of the aforementioned Game of Thrones novels and cable show, Royal Blood follows King Alvar's loss of his kingdom and eventual quest to regain his stolen throne. It is a weird place in fantasy literature when incest (thanks to GoT?) is somehow so old-hat that a writer needs to up the ante to such extremes as Jodorowsky does here, in an effort to shock. Of course, Jodorowsky does "shock" as well as anyone, so if one incestuous relationship doesn't surprise, how about the suggestion of two?

Jodorwosky seems to have an awareness of this, as he includes a throwaway line in a ghostly monologue that ameliorates the impact of the on-panel incestuous pairing, while the second is merely suggested. Perhaps mutilation is the new taboo. Jodorowsky raises the stakes by putting his character through no less than three individual acts of mutilation., ranging from the commonplace (guess what happens to those whop talk too much?) to an act of self-mutilation on the part of the "protagonist" intended to ensure he has no more children.

Royal Blood is most definitely not an all-ages book and certainly not for the squeamish, though the art is so darn lovely...

It really is much easier to validate a marriage to your daughter if her bear agrees to serve
as the maid-of-honor when your king (page 49).

Despite the handsome artwork, and execution of fairly common narrative tropes, the challenge continues to be actually caring about any of the characters involved. As the primary character, noble King Aldar is just about to receive a level of sympathy from the reader, his characterization takes a turn for the worse by belittling and humiliating the woman who saved him. As one begins to empathize with her plight she reveals information that lessens her morel character too. And so it goes, each character throwing away any empathy afforded them by the reader until there is no one left to root for. I'll be darned though if I didn't find a level of an enjoyment in reading Royal Blood, enough so that I read it again a few days later.

Rador's sadism takes a very unnerving turn (page 63).

Coming in at 112 pages, the quality of the hard cover packaging of this novel, published by Titan Comics is impressive. As, for all intent and purpose, a stand-alone comic book issue, the paper quality, and binding are top notch. I've come to learn when purchasing graphic novels of this nature that the $16.99 price tag is very reasonable, especially given the high level of re-readability of the story. And that artwork... wow. Whereas, the 16 year-old fanboy in me would have balked at such a price for a single issue, the 45 year-old reader ordered it from his local comic shop sight unseen. Though I felt the storytelling and characterization was inconsistent, on Jodorowsky's name alone, and based on a few preview pages online was a no-brainer that, in terms of entertainment value, paid off.

While Alvar is not haunted by his wife/daughter's mother, Batia,
 she does appear frequently to laugh at his (many) misfortunes (page 86).

Summer Reading: Conan the Barbarian

A few summers ago it was A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, in the shadow of the unfairly maligned John Carter (2012) movie, and this summer I decided to meet my desire for further reading of "pulps" by checking out some of the Conan source material by author Robert E. Howard. I had been looking for an anthology of Howard stories that were not a collection of comic book iterations of the character, and it was while I was in California a few weeks that I came across a paperback released to coincide with the most recent film adaptation Conan the Barbarian (2011) starring Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa.

Don't let the movie tie-in
cover fool you, this is old school
Robert E. Howard Conan!

Like many fanboys, I grew up with two seminal "Conans": Arnold Schwarzenegger's movie version and Roy Thomas's Marvel Comics in the 1970's. Not surprisingly, while both are highly entertaining on their own merits, both also represent something of a distillation of the character featured in Howard's original stories. This Conan the Barbarian movie tie-in collection, published by Random House Publishing Group, features a broad range of stories representing a significant amount of the character's publishing history in the pulps, specifically Weird Tales. The collection opens with December 1932's "The Phoenix on the Sword," and concludes with "Rogues in the House" from the magazine's January 1934 issue. The six stories collected here form can be read independently or as a single adventure, following Conan from his mercenary youth to his bloody conquests on the frontier and high seas.

As characterized in "The People of the Black Circle" (Weird Tales, November 1934), and throughout the collection, Conan is a fearless force of nature whose reputation proceeds him and invokes fear among those who would challenge him. In nearly each story, Conan does not begin as the focal point of the stories set-up, but rather plays the role of the unseen force waiting to be released. Once provoked (not a good idea!), Conan responds as one might expect: by cutting, punching and clawing his way through evil sorcerers, deadly monsters, and barren landscapes. This interaction from early in "People" captures Conan's approach:

"I climbed a bastion," snarled the intruder. "A guard thrust his head over the battlement in time for me to rap it with my knife hilt."
"Are you Conan?"
"Who else? You sent word into the hills that you wished for me to come and parley with you. Well, by Crom, I've come! Keep away from that table or I'll gut you." (38)

While clearly developed within the warrior archetype, Howard's Conan is a much more well-developed literary creation than that which those who grew up on movie character (it is difficult to discuss one without the other, so pervasive is our culture's acceptance of Schwarzenegger's incredibly quotable, quip-filled performance) will remember. Well-spoken (and plain-spoken in his time) and a tactician, Howard's Conan is as likely to plot and persevere as he is to simply attack and plunder.  Each of the stories contributes to developing the Conan character while building the Hyborian Age in which he dwells.

These are energetic, fantastic stories, in the truest sense of the word. Especially surprising is the literary manner in which Conan's tales are told, making it is difficult to see how stories such as these were seen as easily dismissed storytelling entertainment worthy of only inexpensive paper for publishing (thus the term "pulp").

If you are favored, Crom will guide you, as he did me, into a used bookstore where it can be purchased, though better libraries will likely have this collection in their "Fantasy" paperbacks section. For those lacking his blessing, it is definitely worth checking online stores for Robert E. Howard's influential and entertaining source stories.

Run Reader: Red Sonja #1-9

From Red Sonja #6, written by Gail Simone with art from Walter Geovani.

"This is outrageous... what if you're not my type?"

"I'm Red Sonja. I'm everybody's type."~Red Sonja Issue #8

Just as binge watching television shows has become more common (and actually more enjoyable with many series) I have recently found myself patiently collecting runs of comic books for months at a time before delving deeply into read the connecting stories. Still a collecting slave to single issues, trades won't do, so patience is necessary. One such book that I have quietly placed away is Dynamite Publishing's Red Sonja written by Gail Simone with art from Walter Geovani. After monthly sorting through stunning covers by Jenny Frison, I could wait no longer.

Cover by Jenny Frison.

My earliest recollections of Red Sonja, like most early-Eighties F.O.O.M.-ers, was the scantily clad, silver coin bikini-ed, "She-Devil With A Sword" who somehow found her way into the Topps Marvel Superhero sticker set. A truly dynamic character design, her primary purpose seemed to be as a female counterpart (girlfriend?) for Conan the Barbarian. The piggy back production of a Red Sonja movie (with a cameo by Conan-star Arnold Schwarzenegger) did little to change my perception. I was not, at the time, a sword-and-sorcery fan, despite playing Dungeons and Dragons and loving Beastmaster. In my younger more limited collecting view, comic books were for capes not swords.

Flash forward thirty years, and the overwhelming majority of the books that comprise my current pull list consists of horror, sci-fi and titles featuring a variety of Robert E. Howard characters, including, most recently, Red Sonja. While familiar with Gail Simone's comic book work for DC, most of my practical reading of her writing consists almost solely of following (and enjoying) @GailSimone tweets. As written by Simone, Red Sonja is a conflicted heroine who carries the burden of bearing a sense of responsibility for those who need her. In each of the series arcs thus far, Sonja finds herself questing for her own, in addition to her "sister's," redemption, and later for the lives of hundred of slaves, none of whom she has met. The package through which these stories are told, the characterization and storytelling both written and depicted, is the real selling point here--though for what discriminating comic book fan is it not?

Sonja comes face-to-face with her
sister in issue #2.

The artwork by Walter Geovani and Adraino Lucas is top notch. Sonja is depicted visually as charismatic, strong and stoic while avoiding the caricature of an overtly masculine (or overdeveloped) female. The coloring palette is suitably earthy, allowing for an added subtext to Sonja's differentiating feature, her flowing red hair. Throughout the run, the reader is aware of Red Sonja's infamy (even without having previous experience with the character) in the world created therein, as her unique appearance is itself a calling card of "the Devil," a nickname she is often referred to by in whispers.

Simone's writing is excellent. Not being a previous reader of anything Sonja, I don't have much perspective on whether this has always been the case, but unlike some other books with female primary protagonists (cough--Witchblade--cough), Red Sonja is presented as powerful, sexy and intelligent, rather than oversexed and unaware (or over-aware) of the unique nature of the impact of their empowerment in a patriarchal world. The backstory provided in the first arc adds a real sense of the social challenges faced by a young Sonja who has to learn to be cunning and violent as a means of survival.

At it's heart, Red Sonja is a Sword and Sorcery property. though the emphasis is clearly on "sword." It is a violent world that Sonja inhabits, and her calculated responses to conflicts are also necessarily violent. While some minor characters, such as "fish people," that populate the world Simone has developed have an air of  fantasy about them, it is much more Game-of-Thronesy than, say, Dungeon and Dragons. The sorcery and magic is alluded to more than overtly depicted. Much of what may have been handled in previous comic book incarnations as magic-based is given scientific or potentially real world sources. Disease is explained as the creation of misguided, early scientists, and great feasts, the product of one who has devoted his life to Epicurean arts. It is an interesting approach that results in a far more grounded Red Sonja.

As you might expect by this point, Dynamite Publishing's current Red Sonja series by Simone and Geovani is my type, and I would encourage you to invite her into your reading list, too. For readers uninterested in culling the longboxes at their local comic shop, trades will soon be available.

Doll Collector: LOTR:ROTK's 8" Treebeard

Treebeard with branch lifting action joins his new friends on  the comic book
boarding-and-bagging table. (2/14/14)

Recently, my senior class and I concluded a study of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. My interest in most things Middle Earth reinvigorated by the read, I (as well as some of the students, I suspect) then set out on an independent read through The Lord of the Rings trilogy. During this time I also found myself trolling through the Internet checking out iterations of various characters and locales encountered in the books and eventually captured in plastic or paintings. This in turn led me to the series of toys which were sold in conjunction with each of the five films thus far released.

It was then that I stumbled upon the Treebeard with Branch Lifting Action figure produced as part of a series of figures and collectibles on store shelves during The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King release wa-a-a-y back in 2003.

For the uninitiated, Treebeard the Ent was one of the last of his dwindling kind, the long forgotten tree shepherds of Fangorn Forest who once strode throughout the woods of Middle-earth. A wise and slow to act people, the Ents were persuaded by Treebeard, after his fateful meeting with Merry and Pippin, to awaken and lend their long slumbering might to the fight against the darkness threatening their world. More relevant at this point is that in addition to being beautifully realized in the films, Treebeard makes one bad-ass action figure.

Standing 8" tall and produced by ToyBiz, the "Treebeard with Branch Lifting Action" figure is beautifully sculpted and painted. Part of LoTR: RotK Series III collection, this particular Treebeard figure (given his status as a fan-favorite, there are others!) was first released in July 2003. Fully poseable, Treebeard with branch-lifting action comes in unique collector packaging (which the one I found will very likely never find his way out of).

Next on my toy chest wish list, The Two Towers 14"(!) Treebeard (2002) which features the voice of actor John Rhys-Davies (who played both Gimli and the voice of Treebeard). As the philosophical Treebeard himself might suggest, however, for that purchase I may need to "be patient..."

In Praise of Real, Live Books

As I turn the last few pages of the third book in George R. R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series, A Storm of Swords, I am reminded once again of how deeply pleasurable the experience of grasping, folding and negotiating the pages of a  "real" books is. The tactile enjoyment of progressing page-by-page through the printed word (whether novel, poetry, how-to manuals or comic books) is something that I am unable to give up in favor of the cold, carriable ease of an e-reader. That physical interaction possible with paper and ink addressees a need fro engagement on a sensory level that plastic just fails to meet.

Three days ago, I came across an article from The Atlantic entitled "Tablets Make It Nearly Impossible for Kids to Get Lost in a Story: by Asi Sharabi that seemed to give further credence to the value of this sort of interaction, at least anecdotally. The article's subtitle, "iPads are great at a lot of things, but engaging kids in a narrative is not one of them," suggests a reality that is being praised for taking place in public schools: replacing library and classroom hard copy books with e-readers. While this is framed as a potentially cost-saving measure, a transition of this sort comes at a price, and not just a financial one. This is reinforced by the findings that further suggest that "screens don’t seem to be improving their [children's] experience of reading. Children who read only on-screen are three times less likely to enjoy reading (12 percent vs. 51 percent) and a third less likely to have a favorite book (59 percent vs. 77 percent)." Wow.

Schools looking to be "current," and maybe even on some level "hip," see technological advances in many forms as a means of making concrete their abstract desire to be (or be seen as) progressive. But perhaps something is being lost: "Unlike the instantly alluring tablet, engaging with stories is an acquired skill that takes time and effort." Intellectually, it feels like trading in a deep understanding, one requiring energy and effort thus yielding meaningful results, for an instantly attractive, and ultimately disposable, bell-and-whistle. I am typing this on a computer myself, so I am not suggesting an alarmist, Luddite-like approach to tech, just that some things should be savored, and that maybe (in some cases) that includes certain reading materials.

Asi Sharabi's article is a provocative pre-purchase read for you before rushing out to buy a last minute on-sale tablet for the nascent reader in your life. Though the seductive tech-train left the station long ago, there is no need to neglectfully mothball the bicycle that has brought each of us so far on our individual reading journeys.

Late to the Party: A Game of Thrones

It seems to be a recurring theme this summer: whether it was because I am being contrarian or due to some unfair preconceived notion of a thing, I have almost missed out on some pretty cool literary experiences. Once gain, this has to do with a book which was once avoided, being read and greatly enjoyed.

George R. R. Martin's A Game Thrones has been an international phenomenon the past few years due in great part, I assume, to the success of the television series on HBO which began airing in 2011. As one of the rare folks who just recently purchased cable television just over a year ago, and has yet to succumb to the desire for "special" stations, I have never seen the show, but this past week bought the first novel in Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series, the aforementioned A Game of Thrones.

Like some, I have occasionally suffered from an unsubstantiated bias against fantasy. As I sit here trying to type "I've never read much fantasy," I am reminded of my teen appreciation of the C.S. Lewis' Narnia books as well as some other sword and sorcery books the titles of which I have forgotten. This lazy dismissal runs opposite my recent affection for comic books based on the pulp heroes of Edgar Rice Burroughs (John Carter) and Robert E. Howard (Solomon Kane, Conan, Red Sonja).

There is not much for me to contribute to the praise for these books except to suggest that the high recommendation you've heard for the first novel are warranted. The most recognizable equivalents for literary merit and cultural impact I can think of are the original Frank Herbert Dune novels or (more obviously) Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. The Dune comparison has more to do with the "wheels within wheels" structure of the plotting and romantic elements of the character development than the setting. In all three cases, each series is about "world building": the creation of a detailed and sophisticated "universe" that in some ways mirrors our own notions of a possible, imaginative histories, but with an added element of the fantastic.

As of this writing, I have yet to watch a single frame of HBO's well regarded adaptation, but am "all in" when it comes to most things A Game of Thrones. I look very forward to eventually watching the cable series on DVD (after first reading the novel which has been adapted for each season) and have recently taken it upon myself to quickly acquire as many individual issues of Dynamite Entertainment's comic book adaptation of the first novel. I have even seriously considered tracking down a used copy of the poorly reviewed X-Box 360 system game which depicts events which transpire alongside those in the first novel. In decorating my classroom, I also hung the poster to the rigth festuring Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) with one of my favorite quotes from the first novel.

The lesson here: don't make the mistake(s) I have by dismissing certain books because they seem "too popular" or "mainstream" to be worthy of your time. I've been nearly burned twice this past summer by such limited thinking and continue to be thankful for the reading experience I came late to the party for.

Seen It: Painted Skin: The Resurrection (2012)

With nicer weather around the corner, my days of watching movies on weekends may soon be drawing to a close. Hoping to go out with something a little adventurous, I came across the oddly titled Painted Skin: The Resurrection (2012) on Netflix this morning and completely on a lark made the decision to check it out, based upon to the aesthetic similarities to the previously reviewed Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Secret Flame (2010).

Chinese poster (2012).

Prior to viewing, I must confess to having no idea what the title is meant to imply. Reportedly a sequel of sorts to 2008's Painted Skin, I suspect the title may have something to do with Chinese folklore (on which some of the characters and story are based), but to my Western mind it made little sense. I would also suspect that the seemingly unrelated title might limit the likelihood of Netflix trollers who happen to give the film a chance, which is unfortunate given its fairly strong entertainment value. Especially those who are leary of subtitles and Chinese cinema. The  meaning of the movie's title is clearer  at the conlcusion though the us of the descripteor word "Painted" seems unnecessarily off-putting.

Directed by Chinese director Wuershan, Painted Skin: The Resurrection is an action-adventure-romance starring a number of prominent Chinese actors, none of who have achieved as much name recognition in the U.S. Each is suitably physically beautiful or made up to be equally grotesque depending on the positive (or negative) nature of the character they play. The acting is superb and the the Fuedal Chinese world in whcih the action is set is very well realized. On the big screen this movie must have been beautiful.

The Princess (Wei Zhou) and the Warrior (Kun Chen) pass through one of the many beautiful vistas.

Given the significant roles played by spirits in the film, I was often reminded of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke (1999) and Spirited Away (2001), two Japanese animated films that dealt with (although in an even more fantastic way) the connection between both the physical human world and a spirit realm. The influence of Miyazaki seems evident in some character designs--though I am not nearly fluent enough to assure anyone of that--these may just be common Eastern motifs of which I am unschooled. Personally, the most obvious practical similarity the design of Princess Mononoke and that of the primary antagonist's daughter, herself also part of a wolf clan.



Actress Xun Zhou as malevolent fox spirit Xiaowei.

Reminiscent as costume fantasies such the far more familiar Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Painted Skin: The Resurrection embraces the fantasy elements thought he occasional use of CGI, that rarely distracts from the story or performances. Some of the story beats are similar (and the true villain seems to come from just shy of left field), but there is enough here to keep any passing genre fan satisfied. There is also a fair degree of sensuality on display as both female leads, one a demon and the other a warrior princess, vie for the heart (literally--you'll see) of the same man.



Princess and Xiaowei.

Painted Skin: The Resurrection (2012) is streamed on Netflix, presented with subtitles. The original Painted Skin (2008) is available for free on Youtube for viewing, and listening to as well, if you happen to know Mandarin Chinese.